1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices and methods for the collection, storage and disposal of drill cuttings, particularly during offshore drilling operations.
2. Description of Related Art
During a drilling operation, drill cuttings and rock are scraped out of the formation being drilled by a drill bit. The cuttings are then circulated to the surface as drilling mud returns up the annulus of the wellbore. The cuttings are commonly separated from the drilling mud by devices such as shale shakers fitted on the drilling rig. The shakers capture the cuttings and large solids from the drilling fluid during the circulation thereof. A screen is fitted on each shale shaker of certain mesh size and is vibrated to facilitate separation of the majority of fluids from the solids.
Handling of the drill cuttings following separation is a significant problem, particularly in offshore drilling, where space on a drilling rig is limited. More generally, this limited space can create difficulties in conveying and storing other materials at the drilling rig.